Finding Solace in Another
by JustThisOne
Summary: When something terrible happens, who will Eric turn to? Will Nell and Eric be able to work through their differences?
1. Chapter 1

Usual Disclaimers Apply

"Uh, hey Nell?", Eric quietly greeted the analyst as he took his seat beside her in Ops. She had not heard him come in and was not happy to be caught off guard, muttering to herself about knowing better than to expect a date to go well for once in her life.

"_What_?", she practically snarled back at Eric, shooting him a glare that almost made him lose his nerve. But still, he thought to himself, 'I have to at least try and ask her…'

"Umm… you know how I am on call tonight? Well, I know its Friday and all and its short notice, but is there any way you could trade me and take the on call shift? I have to…do…something. I'll take your next two on call nights, anything. Please.", he finished dully, trailing off as he saw her glare had not only stayed, but had gotten worse. Eric twitched in his seat, waiting for an answer. Normally, Nell found his nervousness with people adorable, one of the things they shared. Now, with the mood she was in, she just wanted to tell him to grow a pair for crying out loud.

Had she noticed his eyes were not a bright as they typically were or that he looked exhausted, she may have considered accepting his favor and getting back at him by making him take her next month's on call duty schedule on, in addition to his own. But luck had not been on her side lately, so she was in no mood to spread any luck to others.

"Really, Eric? 'Do something' Please, I know there are going to be huge waves tomorrow from all the storms. Deeks is already so excited he looks like he's going to pee himself and Kensi's just about ready to throw him into the Pacific now. I'm not an idiot! Surf some other time, I have actual plans. I'm not moving them for you." And with that, Nell snapped her head around and began typing so furiously, Eric almost told her not to break the hardware.

"Look, Nell, my-", Eric tried to explain but was cut off.

"I said no! Nothing you can say will change my mind, now stop asking! We have a case, in case you forgot." Nell interrupted. Eric shrugged, defeated, and tried to shove what had happened, the phone call he got the previous night, out of his mind and focus on their case.

The case was a bad one. The child of a Marine was kidnapped and killed in a botched attempt a blackmailing the Marine into providing a terrorist cell with access to a Naval depot and the weapons within. The team was on edge, frustrated, and angry beyond words. To go after a seasoned Marine was one thing. Going after their child was another situation entirely.

Things in Ops were no better between Nell and Eric, the latter of whom had to keep being… refocused... by his partner. Of all the days for Eric to be acting like an airheaded newbie, this was the worst. He even got a headslap from Kensi, hard enough he had to scoot his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose. Callen just glared at Eric when he lost his train of thought; Deeks just thought Eric was tempted by the waves just starting to turn the beach into paradise. Sam, the only team member with kids of his own was the worst. And Eric, already scared of the former SEAL, was put on edge by the intimidation, making him all the more unfocused.

Nell was no help, still clearly pissed about whatever guy ditched her without so much as an explanation. She was also still fuming about Eric having the nerve to ask her to be on call in his place when she had plans. Well, she didn't have plans so much as she had a pint of Haagen-Dazs and a home facial mask kit at home with her name on it. But still, a girl's got to unwind somehow, especially with the kind of job she had.

Hetty had made no comment about Eric's uncharacteristic behavior, knowing the circumstances and that the team had no idea what was going on to make her tech operator so unbalanced. Her agents were surprised that their diminutive terror of a boss said nothing to Eric to prompt a change in him. After all, as scary as Sam could be, all feared Hetty the most. For her part, Hetty was surprised that her agents, so carefully trained to notice even the tiniest details in people, were not noticing the obvious signs that Eric was going through something deeply personal and gut-wrenching. She knew Eric was not only doing the best he could, but was doing better than she-or anyone, could have hoped. She was proud of him, and told him as much when he called her from the airport the next day.


	2. Chapter 2

The following Monday was a holiday and, since the case involving the murder of a Marine's son had been successfully closed, Hetty decided the team could wait until Tuesday to come in and do the paperwork. As the team filed into the office on Tuesday, refreshed from a three day weekend, Nell greeted them with a whistle from the balcony, saying "New case! Looks straightforward though."

"Why did she have to say that? Last time somebody said that, we didn't go home for almost a week." Sam complained as the team of agents trudged up the stairs to see what awaited them. Callen looked around, finally resting his eyes on their operations manager. "Where's Eric? Running late?" Deeks grinned, remembering the last time he was late and the punishment he received. He took a small amount of sadistic joy in the idea of somebody else getting on Hetty's bad side. Hetty replied, "No…no Mr. Beale asked for a couple days off so we will manage without him. No doubt Miss Jones can handle some extra duties for the time being."

Sam chortled as Nell nodded her assent, "Probably hiding, knows he screwed up last week. We'll set him right when he comes back." Deeks added, "I can hardly wait…" as Kensi nodded in agreement. Nell briefed the team, Callen set the agents to their tasks, and gave Nell instructions for what to do next.

All was going according to plan and the case seemed to be straightforward-until it wasn't. Kensi and Deeks discovered that their main suspect had not only one encrypted computer, but seven. After four hours and no progress, Nell knew she needed help if the team would be able to access and use the information locked inside the hard drives. It was crucial to the case; the team would not be able to move forward until the computers could be accessed.

"Job for Eric", Sam said, after reassuring Nell that she had done fine, despite not being successful. Hetty appeared from nowhere. "No. Mr. Beale is off today and is not to be bothered for this. We will pursue other means until he returns to work." The four agents looked at her with disbelief. The job was king. It ruled their personal life and everything and everyone in it. It was what all the people who worked at NCIS-OSP signed up for, lived for…loved. The idea of reorganizing or stalling their investigation for one person was unthinkable.

Callen turned to his team once Hetty was out of earshot. "Sam and I are going to have another go in the boatshed. Kensi, Deeks: find Eric and get his ass in here." Deeks and Kensi nodded and pulled out their phones.

Kensi called and Deeks texted. The texts went unanswered and the calls went straight to voicemail all five times Kensi dialed. Slamming her hands on her desk, Kensi turned to Deeks and said bluntly, "Let's go." Deeks just looked at his partner, noting the glint in her eye that warned him to be careful. Very careful. "Okay…where are we going exactly, we have no leads…?"

Kensi replied, "I am so sick of people running out when they're needed. We are going to Eric's and dragging his butt in here so he can get the computers opened up so we can solve our case. Are you coming or not?" she added in a murderous tone. Deeks, knowing her comment about people leaving when they were needed was not about Eric at all, just nodded and followed his partner to the car.

"Okay, Kensi, there is really no need to be so loud, I'm sure Eric can hear you if he's home…" Deeks said to his partner while staying safely out of striking range. Just as Kensi raised her fist to bang on the door again, it opened, revealing Eric, who was now jumping back at the sight of Kensi, angry and with an upheld fist, at his door. With Deeks. On a day off that he desperately needed to recoup from his weekend of living hell…

"You do know that I asked Hetty for a couple days off, right?", Eric said by way of greeting. Kensi took in the sight of her colleague's wrinkled shirt, disheveled hair, and baggy eyes. Noting his pinched look, like he hadn't eaten in days Kensi soldiered on, "Get cleaned up and get to Ops. We need you to crack some computers Nell can't get in to. Obviously you need your beauty sleep but we kind of have a job to do." Deeks added, "We'll wait and give you a ride. Five minutes, man."

Eric opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it. He had just had one of the worst weekends of his life and was exhausted. He had gotten home from the airport an hour ago and wanted nothing more than to go to bed and try to get some sleep, which had proven elusive since the previous Thursday when he got a phone call from a stranger in Connecticut, asking him to come home. The last place in the world he wanted to be was in the intensity and stress of work, with people relying on him to be at peak form when he knew he would let them down, just as he did last Friday. Above all, he wanted the privacy to deal with his personal life for a couple days before maybe telling his coworkers about…

Eric looked at the unemotional faces on his doorstep and shook his previous thoughts out of his head. "Okay, fine. I'm right behind you.", he answered and shut the door. A quick shower and a change of clothes and ten minutes later, he was out the door. In other eight minutes, he was in the gadget room in Ops, steadily running decryption programs and sending the information upstairs to the ops room for Nell to analyze and feed to the team.

Eric's presence proved essential to the team's mission and the case was wrapped up in a matter of hours, with such a clean end and spot-on confessions and supporting evidence that nobody even chastised Nell for nearly jinxing all of NCIS in one fell swoop. As the agents and analysts gathered in the bullpen, ready to close out their night with a round at a nearby bar, Sam suddenly asked, "Anybody notice Eric looks like hell?" Sam took it as his responsibility to look after the team and was irritated that Eric had 'let himself go', even if had only been for a day.

The rest of the team was thinking, shaking their heads as Eric slowly walked past the group, giving a good night wave without so much as saying a word. Deeks noticed him first and called out, "Yo Eric! Sam says you look like hell. Come have a drink with us, it'll cure what ails ya."

"Not tonight, thanks."

"Why did you take the day off, anyway, if you didn't plan on having some kind of fun?", Callen asked, the team's luck having propelled him into a joking mood.

"I had…stuff. You know…that I needed to do…I guess…" was Eric's nervous reply. Nell smirked and pretended to cough into her sleeve as she said, "Surfing!" Eric looked at her, clearly wounded by the remark, "I told you that I wasn't going out this weekend."

The team looked at each other, grinning, knowing it wasn't like Eric to miss a prime day of surfing. "You know Hetty's going to rip you apart when she finds out you took time off work to surf", Kensi said. "I'd run if I were you."

Eric looked frustrated and repeated, "I didn't take my board out…" Sam nodded and said "Okay, okay we believe you, man. So what were you doing? Was it geek stuff?" he added, suddenly straight-faced and serious.

The rest of the team laughed, expecting Eric to laugh along as he typically did. "No...I…my mom—", Eric began as Callen broke off his words, "It was geek stuff!" the senior agent declared. Kensi rejoined, "Aww Eric! You don't have to hide your mom time from us!" The rest of the team giggled and Eric shifted uncomfortably on the edge of the bullpen, not sure what to do. Finally, Eric looked up, and set his eyes on Nell, since he knew they would be the easiest to look into as he spoke.

"She killed herself. My Mom. Last Thursday.", Eric deadpanned.

The agents and Nell suddenly quieted, turning to Eric, nobody saying a word. They were stunned at what Eric had said, each imagining their own horror had the same thing happened to them. Kensi was the worst, eyes already glassing with tears. She alone of the team knew how it felt to have a parent ripped away from you. It broke her heart when her dad died and her heart was breaking now for Eric's pain.

Eric waited a moment, looking at the ground in the silence of the cavernous room before looking up suddenly, "Ok…uhh, see you tomorrow then." As he turned again to leave, Callen said, a little too loudly, "Why don't you take time off and not come in tomorrow?" Nervously and a bit angrily, Eric said, "You mean like I did for today? See how well that plan went." Kensi and Deeks's eyes went straight to the floor, flooded with guilt.

Nell finally broke her silence, clearly hurt and shocked by what her friend had just revealed. As usual, her mind worked too fast and she blurted out, "Why did you tell me? Don't you realize how I feel now that I wouldn't switch days with you? We're partners, I need to know if something will affect you at work, Eric!" Nell realized how cold her concern sounded and put her hand to her forehead as the team looked at their normally quiet, clearheaded analyst, in shock.

Nell shook her thoughts clear and met Eric's gaze, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" Eric sharply cut her off, "You're right. I'm sorry- I obviously should have considered how my mom's suicide would affect you. You said we aren't partners and nothing I would tell you last week would change your mind about switching shifts. If you don't think I'm doing my job take it up with Hetty." And then he left.

The group was stunned. They had never heard Eric use that tone with anyone, ever and never suspected Nell would be the one he would use it with. However, Eric cared the most about Nell and was thus more easily hurt by her for the simple reason that he cared what she thought more than he did anyone else. Nell and Kensi both got up to follow Eric and apologize for what they did. At that moment, Hetty appeared from her observation point and said pointedly, "Sit your selves down this instant. Mr. Beale asked for privacy and I intend to see that he gets it."


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the team turned to Hetty. Kensi, asked, breathlessly, "Wait- _you knew about this_? Why didn't you say anything?" The other three agents and Nell shifted nervously, waiting for Hetty to reply. She was not used to being questioned and the look she was giving the group, Kensi in particular, could have turned lava to ice. "Of course I knew, Miss Blye. And as I just stated Mr. Beale asked for privacy in addition to the time off. Of course, had you respected what I told you, or heaven forbid asked Mr. Beale why he had been so off task he no doubt would have told you on his on terms and in his own time. However, dragging him here seems to have rushed things along for Mr. Beale."

Kensi and Deeks started to apologize but were silenced with a look. "Your sentiments are best directed elsewhere; but not until some time has passed. Am I clear about this?" Hetty said. They nodded in reponse. Turning to Callen and Sam, Hetty continued, "This goes for you two as well. And Mr. Callen, you will please keep in mind that I do not give time off lightly, especially on short notice. Be aware it is granted for exceptional cases and you should therefore not direct your team in a way that will affect it." Callen nodded, suitably chastised, still damning himself for making Kensi and Deeks get Eric to Ops.

As Hetty pivoted away from the team and walked out of the bullpen, the team sighed collectively and looked at each other, not sure what to say or do. Deeks, of course, was the first to speak. "I can't believe he didn't say anything. I mean, how do you hold that in?"

"This coming from a person who can't hold anything in.", Sam retorted.

Kensi intervened, "Eric doesn't usually talk about himself much, at least not to me…You guys?"

The agents shook their heads. "Usually if he says anything it's at a bad time and Sam scares him out of it." Callen replied.

Nell spoke for the first time since Eric had left. The agents jumped when they heard her, having assumed she went up to the ops room to think on her own. "I can't believe he didn't tell me." she said softly, clearly on the verge of tears. "I was so mean to him when he asked for the favor I was so mad about something else I yelled at him." Nell continued, speaking more to herself than anyone.

"He'll hate me. I mean he will be mad at you guys but he…he won't talk to me anymore. How could I be so stupid?" Now fully in tears, Nell was unrecognizable, face red and hands shaking, a far cry from her usually unflappable presence that the team didn't really know what to say to her. They looked at each other, silently motioning for somebody to say something. All eyes finally came to rest on Kensi, the only other female when Sam spoke up, "He doesn't hate you Nell. Just give him some time. We all have amends to make here. I'll be okay."

"No, you don't understand. We're…we're…we talk, you know? I need to go see him." Nell replied, still in tears.

"Maybe by the time he comes in, he will have forgotten about it." Deeks said hopefully, desperate for the crying to stop. Women in tears always reminded him of his childhood, memories he'd rather not have.

Kensi punched him in the arm as Callen and Sam looked at him, willing him silently to just shut the hell up.

Nell gave a small jerk as if coming out of a deep sleep. "I'm going to talk to Eric." The team made noises of protest but Nell was deaf to them. She didn't even turn back or slow down as she marched out of Ops, heading to her car and to Eric.

"I just hope Hetty doesn't find out about this." Deeks said.

Nell had managed to stop crying in the short time it took her to get to Eric's street. She marched up the walk and knocked insistently on the door, still not knowing what she would say or do when Eric opened the door to his place. If he opened the door.

Eric looked through the peephole before opening the door, still pissed and in no mood to talk. "Look Nell-"

Nell shoved passed him and walked into his living room. She had never been to his apartment before and had imagined it would look like Eric: casual, geeky, and a little disheveled. However, she was momentarily stunned at the tidiness of his place. The couch and chairs, walls, and rug all matched. Eric's book collection was surprisingly large and neatly on shelves. Glancing in to the kitchen area, Nell noticed there were no dishes in the sink or food boxes left out. He was actually a better housekeeper than she was.

"Nell!" Eric jerked her attention back to the fact she was standing, uninvited and unannounced, in his home. "I really don't think-"

Nell cut him off. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I didn't mean it like that you know I didn't. And we are partners. You caught me by surprise I had no idea what…about your mom. And I should have let you switch weekends with me when you asked I didn't notice you were not acting the way you usually do. Can you please, please talk to me?" Nell spoke rapidly, not wanting Eric to say anything until she finished, worried that she would lose her chance to say what she so desperately needed and wanted to say.

Eric looked at her blankly, not showing that he had heard a word she said. "Are you going to tell Hetty I suck at my job or not?" he asked coldly.

Nell was taken aback. He was never cold to her, not ever. Not even when he got mad at her for being stubborn or for taking over. After a beat, Nell responded, obviously hurt, "No, Eric, why would you think I would do that?"

"Good. I really like my job and kinda want to keep it since it's all I've got right now."

Nell reached out to touch his arm but he pulled away. "Why would you say that? You are amazing at your job, the best tech operator I've ever seen. I can't imagine how much it must hurt to lose your mom… that way. But you still have plenty left."

Eric just shook his head. She didn't get it. "That's not what I mean."

Nell answered, clearly confused, "Please talk to me, Eric. Let me try to help."

Eric turned to her, suddenly angry at her words. "I lost _you_. Don't you think I tried to talk to you? I even started to tell you what happened last Friday but you cut me off and yelled at me. All I have wanted to do for the past few days is be able to talk to you- nobody else, just you- but you are so mad at me that I can't. I got yelled at. And I don't even know what I did to upset you so I've been wracking my brain, trying to sort through all this shit and trying to figure out what to do with you on top of what to do with me. So right now, I don't want to talk to you because I can't handle having you get madder at me."

Nell waited before speaking, wanting to make sure that her words were right. Eric waited in the tense silence while Nell concentrated. He was too exhausted to speak anymore and was frantically hoping Nell would just tell him why he made her mad so he could fix it. He hated Nell not talking to him. Their conversations and the easy way they got along were what he depended on for more than he ever thought possible.

Nell took a deep breath and locked eyes with Eric before she began. "I was never mad at you. I honestly wasn't. I was mad at me for going on a third date with a guy that was obviously not right for me. I was so sick of this string of guys not being what I want that I lost my patience with you, which wasn't fair. And I should have let you explain what was going on. I would have been there for you, you know that. And earlier, in the bullpen, I was not expecting what you said. Not in a million years did I think that had happened to you. And I'm sorry you had to go though it alone; nobody should have to carry that without help. I panicked and blurted out something that I shouldn't have because I didn't think to organize my thoughts; I just wanted to talk to you and ended up making you feel worse. I'm so, so sorry for that."

By the time she finished, Nell was in tears again and Eric looked like he was about to cry as well for relief. If Nell was talking to him, he would be okay. He knew that not it the pure release of pressure was insurmountable. He smiled at Nell and she managed a watery grin in return.

"Okay, partner, I'm glad we got all that out. Now, what's with you dating a lot all of a sudden? Is there no man in Los Angeles without a criminal record that can see what a catch you are?", Eric said teasingly. He was back.

Nell laughed and replied, "I guess I can't find what I'm looking for."

"Well maybe you are looking too hard." Eric answered. "What's wrong with these guys anyway?"

"They aren't you."

A tense silence reigned. Eric could not believe what Nell had said. Said what he had wanted so badly to hear for such a long time. Nell could not help but wonder at her own nerve…or stupidity for blurting out what she had been trying to hide for so long.

Nell looked up from the place on the hardwood floor where she had been drilling a hole with her stare. Eric looked away from the wall and focused his eyes on the woman standing before him. Desperately hoping he wouldn't ruin everything, Eric took a step forward, leaning down to meet Nell's lips just as she was standing on her toes to reach his.


	4. Chapter 4

**THIS CHAPTER IS RATED M**

At first there was nothing. No hands, no sighs, no moaning for more. An oblivious observer would have looked at them and not see two people who had feelings for each other sharing their first kiss, but two novices having their first kiss ever.

Then there was something. Eric leaned down into Nell, placing one hand on the small of her back, drawing him closer to her while the other hand gently cupped her jawline. Nell responded with a low sigh and allowed herself to be pulled to Eric so their bodies were perilously close but not totally touching. She opened her mouth and slipped her tongue into Eric's mouth, testing to see if he wanted to continue. He did.

Overjoyed at the fact Nell hadn't pulled away and punched him when he kissed her, Eric was now so enthralled by Nell and her tongue inside his mouth and his inside hers that he could think of nothing other than to not stop. Just grab a breath when it becomes available and hope she does the same rather than pull away and risk cutting off this feeling. Now Nell's hands were on him, one on his back and the other on his waist, feeling him breathe. _Oh. My. God._

As both Nell and Eric began to explore each other with their hands, they finally closed the narrow, heat-filled gap between their bodies. The feel of Nell's breasts on Eric's chest made him moan with pleasure. Nell pulled Eric closer, pressing him into her, wanting desperately to feel his breath get fast and heavy, feel his racing heartbeat match her own as they relished sharing the moment.

As they moved trying to get closer to each other, they had covered a small distance, not realizing they had done so until Nell backed against a wall. The slight bump broke them apart. Hair messy, panting, glasses long gone they took stock of each other and the sudden headfirst dive into uncharted territory that their (formerly) platonic relationship had taken. Realizing Nell was in a position where she may feel cornered or trapped, Eric felt the need to say something or ask something to assess the situation and make sure Nell was comfortable with what had happened and with what might happen if she kept looking at him that way. Seeing his questioning look and his struggle to align his thoughts and form a sentence appropriate for the situation, Nell decided a pre-emptive strike was her best option.

She grabbed the front of his t-shirt and pulled him to her. "Why did you stop? I don't want you to stop." She whispered in his ear. Eric froze. He had not been expecting that. He looked at Nell suddenly, with the slightly dazed look of pure wonder and pleasure before smiling. "Then I won't."

Eric began kissing Nell again, this time moving from her lips to her jawline, working his way to her ear and then down to the side of her neck. When he reached a spot that made her whole body shiver with a low, sexy groan he had not yet heard from her that night, he paused and flicked his tongue over the spot, letting Nell get the most joy he could before he moved on to her collarbone. While Eric was exploring her neck, Nell was having a hands adventure on his chest, stroking and caressing from his waistline to his shoulders, trailing her hands all over his lithe body, adjusting the pressure and motion according to his groaning responses.

As Nell pulled his shirt off over his head, Eric put a steadying hand on Nell's waist and used his other hand to cup under her thigh and lifted her onto the wall, pinning her here with his body. Nell threw her head back and make a squeaky moaning sigh that just drove Eric mad for the fact that it validated what he was doing to her and told him she was as turned on as he was. When Nell lifted a leg to wrap around Eric to both steady her position and to pull Eric even closer, she could feel the hardness of him between her legs and knew he wanted her. Gasping for breath as he ground into her and she sucked on his neck, Nell managed to breathe a single word:

"Bed."

Eric made a low throaty growl as he lowered Nell from the wall and started walking to the bedroom, guiding Nell as she walked backwards, never breaking their kissing until he stopped at the foot of his bed to undress her. Eric had already unbuttoned her cardigan during the previous action and gently lowered it over her shoulders and let it fall on to the floor. He then lifted the hemline of her undershirt and, letting his hands graze her ribs and breasts, pulled it over her head. Smiling, he kissed Nell all the way down her chest and stomach while she undid his shorts, letting them fell to the ground for him to step out of.

Seeing being bottoms-less as an excellent idea, Eric unsnapped Nell's jeans and slid them over her hips so they would fall down her legs, gently fingering the topline of her panties as he worked, which earned him another moan of ecstasy. Still kissing her chest and collarbone, Eric placed his hands on Nell's just-covered hips and pushed her back onto his bed, following above her on his knees.

What Eric did not expect was for Nell to slide her hands down this back on ribs to his boxers. And pull them down and he knelt above her, his arms holding his weight while he skimmed his tongue over her stomach. Caught off guard by the bold move, Eric hurriedly kicked his boxers off his legs, totally turned on when he looked at Nell and saw her looking at his hard penis, smiling with anticipation.

Thus emboldened, Eric reached a hand around Nell's back and unhooked her bra, balancing on his knees as he used both hands to pull the straps around her arms, exposing her pert breasts. Nell's nipples were already hard by the time Eric lowered himself down to take one in his mouth. Nell nearly screamed with pleasure as she writhed below him, clutching him wherever her hands would reach and hold on to his body as she arched her back, pushing herself onto him.

As Eric moved to Nell's other breast, he slid a hand down Nell's stomach. She was so engrossed in the oral foreplay on her breasts, she did not notice that Eric's hand was elsewhere until she felt him slide two fingers along her aching, throbbing clit through her damped panties. Now panting even heavier than before and gasping for air, Nell twisted a hand into Eric's hair on the back of his head and used her other hand to guide his hand as it caressed her most sensitive spot.

Eric groaned at the sound of his fingers bringing Nell to climax and quickly and wordlessly helped Nell shove her panties all the way off her glistening body. Eric moved up from his location and reached into his nightstand for a condom. He tore the wrapper off as fast as he could and shifted to lie on his side to roll the condom down his length as Nell caught her breath. Just as Eric was ready to move back to his position above Nell, she placed her hands on his shoulders and laid Eric flat on his back, softly saying, "It's my turn to take care of you."

Eric smiled at the many implications of what Nell had just said to him. Then all thought was gone as he watched Nell straddle him and position herself over his member. She gently wrapped two fingers and a thumb around his base and held him steady as she lowered herself onto him, slowly gliding down his length as Eric stroked her thighs. Once Nell was all the way down, she met Eric's gaze and smiled the best smile she had ever given as she slightly shifted her hips, adjusting herself so their bodies were perfectly joined.

Nell slowly began to rock and grind, alternating between moving forward and backward, in circles, and in figure eights. Eric held on to her hips, more to keep her steady than to control her. She clearly wanted to set the pace and motions and he was more than happy to let her, so long as she was being pleasured as much as he was. The two made love intimately even though not a word was spoken. They communicated in sighs and gasps, low moans that escaped when the angles of their bodies was just right. Their eyes were locked on each other's bodies and movements, gazes meeting from time to time, holding each instance they met.

Nell began to move up and down Eric, slowly at first then faster until she could no longer keep up the pace and had to go back to grinding. She was breathing hard and fast, clenching her fists on anything within reach as she approached climax. Eric could feel her become wetter and felt the urgency in her movements as she got tighter around him. Nell began to let out small screams before finally arching her back and slamming her hips against Eric's as she felt her intense release.

She leaned forward, Eric still in her, spent from the ride she had given. Eric rubbed her back and let her recover from her climax as he caught his breath. Lying on top of Eric's chest, Nell noticed two things: one was that had been the best orgasm she had had in a very long time. The other was that Eric was still hard inside her.

Nell looked at Eric, wondering silently if she had not been able to please him. The men she had been with did not tend to outlast her in bed. Eric was looking at the ceiling, panting and reeling from feeling Nell finish so powerfully. It was all he could do to hold on and hold his own release in, but he wanted to ensure Nell was satisfied. As he looked down from the ceiling, he saw Nell, already looking at him intently and slightly hurt. Just as she started to say something, Eric kissed her lips and, one hand on her back to hold her in place, rolled Nell onto her back.

Still looking at Nell in the eye, Eric slowly began to thrust in slow, powerful strokes. He tried to convey all he felt for Nell and all he wanted from her, not just sexual desires but real emotional wants, in the way he looked at her as he slid in and out. Quickly picking up the pace, Eric could feel Nell began to tighten around him again and the thought of making her climax twice turned him on and made him let out a groan as he thrust harder and faster. Nell was now digging her nails into his shoulders and her heels into his lower back. Both were panting hard and with one final thrust, Eric and Nell climaxed together, both screaming in pleasure that was so intense it was almost painful.

They slid apart and separated, looking at each other, flushed, panting, smiling and unable to say a word.


	5. Chapter 5

"Will you stay tonight?", Eric asked Nell once he had caught his breath, both still laying naked in tangled sheets. Nell just looked at Eric like she was seeing him for the first time, still reeling from their encounter she simply pulled on his bicep so he rolled over to her, laying his head on her shoulder where he could nuzzle her neck and she could toy with his hair. "I'm not going anywhere." Eric smiled into her neck and brought his arms up to wrap around her, desperate to be as close to her as he could.

Nell woke first. After taking a moment to realize whose bed she was lying in and whose arms were still tightly enveloping her, she allowed herself a slight smile. Turning slightly, she looked down at Eric, taking several minutes to make a mental image of the sandy blonde and slightly curly hair, strong cheekbones and jawline, the way his lips parted slightly in his deep sleep. Despite feeling immensely content and satisfied, Nell could not help but wonder if Eric would think their night together was a mistake, something he did for temporary relief of emotional pain. _Best to keep this quiet until I know if he really feels for me._

She was still deep in her own thoughts as Eric stirred and woke up, renewing his hug and gently, tentatively, kissing her neck as he looked up with a smile. "Hi", he said in a barely audible voice, in wonder of the woman lying next to him, the woman he never imagined would actually be in his bed.

There was an uneasy silence as both wondered what to say or do next. Nell was holding off saying anything, seeing the 'after sex' talk as something the guy did, generally to offer her breakfast and a ride back to her place. Sure enough, Eric spoke first but it was not what Nell had been bracing for.

"Nell, are you okay with…what happened last night? I mean, it was…you were amazing. Like wow amazing. But…you didn't, ummm, you didn't sleep with me just to prove you aren't mad at me, right? I mean, not that you _would_ do something like that, I just—this isn't coming out the way I thought, the way I, look, what I wanted to say, what I meant to say is—" Nell felt it was time to end Eric's misery and cut him off, "Eric. I spent the night with you because I wanted to."

Eric was still struggling for words and had shifted away from Nell to a sitting position against the headboard when she took mercy on him and ended his awkward rambling. He was floored by what she said. _She wanted to be with me_. He could think of no response powerful enough to convey how happy he was at what she said so he just smiled the smile that he reserved just for her and said "Awesome." as he leaned down and kissed Nell deeply, savoring the feeling of her reciprocating and pulling him down to her.

After about ten minutes of making out like teenagers, Nell glanced over at the clock on Eric's bedside table. "Oh! I need to get going if I'm going to get to Ops on time." Eric checked the time as well and reluctantly realized Nell was right, especially since she would have to go home to get ready first.

Nell and Eric separated to get dressed, both just putting on the hastily removed clothes from the night before, helping each other locate their missing articles of clothing that had gotten lost in the sheets or under the bed. As Eric walked Nell to his door, he asked, "Can I see you again? Like a date, I mean."

"I think I'd like that", Nell answered "But we need to be professional at work, the team shouldn't know about…you know" _He'll want to hide me anyway, so this is just more convenient. Like any man can handle my special brand of quirks. _

"Great! I'd like that too. And you're right, we shouldn't say anything at work. I'm coming in today, by the way. I feel so much better about the whole thing since you aren't pissed at me and I can talk to you. I'm sure the others will just leave me be and not say anything, which is fine. Preferable, actually. It's sort of a relief that they know. It's lighter, you know?"

Nell smiled at him and appreciated the casual way he took things in life in stride, even the loss of his mom which was still raw. "Yeah, that makes sense. Hetty might be mad at you showing up, but I think she knows we all work through things in different ways."

With one more kiss, Nell slipped outside and drove home, wondering if the morning and prior night had all been a dream and if Eric really would be different from all the other men before him.

* * *

><p>I know, not the best. I'm not happy with it either. Hopefully chapter 6 will be better for all of us. Thanks for the reviews!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

As Eric watched Nell rummage through her overnight bag, he debated whether or not to say anything. But as he watched his girlfriend toss articles of clothing around the floor of his bedroom in search of her contact rinse, he went against his better judgment and spoke up. "That's what the drawer is for you know. You should try it."

Nell paused briefly, not looking up as she replied, tentatively, "I'll get to it."

She ran the image of the night two weeks ago when Eric excitedly answered his door in the bouncingly happy mood he only shared with her. He told her he got her a present for their six month anniversary and she just _had_ to cover her eyes so it would be a total surprise. He had gently led her to the bedroom as she joked that if his surprise had anything to do with her anniversary gift, newly purchased, lacey, and in his favorite blue, that they would be late for dinner. Eric had just laughed and came to a stop. 'Ready?' She assured him she was. 'Okay. Open!' Nell opened her eyes and saw his bottom dresser drawer, the biggest one, had a large bow on it. She had looked at him at a loss. 'Well aren't you going to open it?' he asked, clearly still excited about getting her the perfect gift. She complied and looked at Eric, dumbfounded. 'It's empty.' Eric nodded. 'Exactly! It's for you! So you can leave stuff here, you know? I also cleared out a shelf in the medicine cabinet but didn't want to give you a present in the bathroom. And that's not all!' He handed her a key. His house key.

Nell found her contact solution and went into the bathroom to take the lenses out now that she was off work and (hopefully) in for the evening. She came back out and saw Eric still nervously perched on the bed, playing with a loose thread in the sheet. "So, umm…when do you think you might get to it? The drawer, the medicine cabinet? You take all your stuff with you; you don't have to do that."

"I know, Eric. I just want to…make sure I guess.", was Nell's annoyed reply.

"We have been together six months and friends for longer. I don't understand what you need to be sure of. I mean, you know I love you, right?" Eric was nervous. If Nell didn't know how he felt about her, he had obviously screwed up and immediately began thinking if he had done the appropriate boyfriend tasks: make her dinner, breakfast in bed, marathon sex sessions, Jell-o and ginger ale when sick, ice cream and a shoulder to lean on when upset, tell her all the things he adored about her, making sure she felt at home with him. It was a yes to all of them and so much more. He was at a loss.

"Yeah, Eric, I know you love me. And I love you. So let's just drop it. Our show's going to be on in a minute."

Just drop it? The fact that she blew off what Eric felt was the obvious next step for people who had been in a relationship six months? Granted, it wasn't a normal relationship. Kensi, Deeks, Sam, and Callen all had surmised that their resident geeks had some sort of combined private life, though they did not know the depth or breadth of Eric and Nell's relationship since they were so careful to keep that part of their life out of the office. Hetty knew-obviously, but she would never say anything about it to the others unless it became absolutely necessary to do so. If one of them was kidnapped, for example.

Feeling the first chest tightening and stomach queasiness of nervousness, Eric fell back on old patterns and kept talking. "Look, Nell if this is too soon, just tell me. I just thought that we were on the same page is all. If we aren't I want to know so we can work it out."

"Seriously, why is it so important to you that I put my clothes in the stupid drawer?", Nell asked, defensive and exasperated.

Eric was taken aback at her response. Shit. We are fighting. He hated conflict. Even the banter of the team made him nervous if it got too heated. He took a deep breath before answering the woman he cherished so much, "Because I want you in my life and now it feels like you don't want me in yours and I don't understand why."

"So I'm the worst girlfriend ever? At least you're the nicest at breaking it to me."

"That's not what I mean, Nell. I love you; you are a great girlfriend."

"One that can't make you happy, evidently." Nell was pulling out all the stops. She was cold to him and knew what she was doing and why- this was the only way to look out for herself so she did it. She had to.

"You do make me happy. Incredibly happy-happier than anyone ever has. I just don't know if I make you happy. I mean, you keep me at arm's length: we never stay at your place, you don't even keep a toothbrush here or a pair of flip flops to go down to the beach at night. And I always am trying so hard to do things you like and go places you want to go even though you don't do stuff _I_ want to do. And…and you only say you love me if I say it first." Eric trailed off, realizing for the first time how much he had kept bottled in in the hopes of making Nell happy so she would stay with him. Maybe they weren't as compatible as he thought

Nell just looked at him, not taking the time to take in what he said. "Well what do you want from me? It's not like this is a huge _thing_ we have going here! Can't you just have fun?"

It was a get-wrenching fifteen seconds of silence. Eric looked as stunned as if somebody had just punched him in the face. He could hardly believe what Nell had just said. If he hadn't been there he would not have believed it. "Is that all I am to you? A sex friend that's just convenient and ready to please?"

Nell didn't say anything. She just looked at him, bracing herself for the inevitable_. It's better for him if he hates you. _"Not anymore, I guess."

She squatted down and picked up her overnight bag, knowing that this is why she always kept it packed and managed to make it out of Eric's bedroom and front door, tears pouring down her cheeks before his apartment door shut behind her with a slam.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning in Ops, everybody noticed there was something out of the ordinary between Eric and Nell. Normally very exuberant and bright, the two techs looked terrible when the team of agents saw them. Nell looked as if she had spent the entire night crying: her eyes were bloodshot and her face was a bit red and puffy. Eric had dark circles under his eyes and had not bothered to shave, which added to his already haggard appearance. What was most noticeable was the fact that Eric and Nell did not speak to each other or even look at the other.

"Yikes. I would not like to be in either one of their shoes.", Deeks stated as he walked into the bull pen where the other agents had already assembled to compare notes on the tech and analyst. "Any guesses as to what happened over there? Fight or a breakup or both?"

"Could you please try to not be so loud?" Kensi asked as she gave him a scowl. "Nell looks really upset."

"And Eric looks like he slept under a bridge. They'll figure it out; let's just leave them be." Callen said, though he was privately worried the obvious tension between Eric and Nell would throw the team.

"They better get over this. My money was on those two going all the way." Sam said with a shake of his head as the team was summoned upstairs by an uncharacteristic yell of 'Get your butts up here!' from Eric.

All through the briefing, Eric and Nell took care to not look at each other. They stood apart, not just on opposite ends of the big screen but on opposite ends of the room. All the friendliness was gone. No bouncing of ideas, no finishing sentences, no mentioning with pride that the other had uncovered a clue. They made their points and took their directions without comment and silently set about doing their job.

All the agents felt that the pair would work things out and be fine by that evening or the next day. However, three days later, even Hetty seemed worried, going so far as to call each into her office to discuss their ability to work together. While Eric and Nell were getting their work done and cases were being handled and closed, the cold silence that penetrated the ops room was palpable at times. It set the agents on edge not knowing if their dynamic duo and technical lifeline would be able to work as a team to get them through a sticky spot in the field. While this went unsaid, it did not go unnoticed by Hetty.

On Friday evening, just as the team was closing up shop for the weekend, Deeks looked upstairs to the ops room and said, "Okay, I know its been a few days but we've been busy. They'll work this out over the weekend, right? I mean they seriously look like hell. Maybe we should offer to go for a drink or something. You know- as a group and try to ease them back together…?"

"Whatever they have going on won't be solved by alcohol and team bonding, you idiot. This is serious. I don't think they are together anymore.", Kensi said sadly. She had been jealous of Nell's giddiness for months and it hurt her to see someone be cut down so suddenly in a relationship that seemed to be going well.

"I'm with Kensi on this one. I think they broke up. I don't think they had even gone this long without those annoying sideways glances and not-so-secret-touches. Not to mention the mornings where they come in yawning and late but still manage to smile at each other while Hetty chews them out." Sam dejected.

"Wow. Married life not treating you too well lately, big guy?" Callen asked with a grin, knowing he was the only one who could say such a thing to his partner and still be able to breathe the following minute.

"It's _young love_, G. Brings some happiness into this place, into this life. I just thought they would make it is all." Sam replied as he got up and left to go home.

Eric was startled awake by the shrill ringing of his phone at 2am. Not looking at the screen or turning on a light, he picked up and grunted what he hoped sounded like 'hello'.

"Hi Eric, it's me….It's Nell, I mean."

Eric was jolted fully awake by the sound of her voice. She was crying. He had only seen her cry once but knew the sound all the same. She never cried. Shit.

"What's going on? Who are those people in the background? Wait-don't answer that. I don't have any right to ask anymore. Why are you crying?" Eric asked in a slight panic.

"Uhh, the people in the background are cops. I was mugged walking home and-"

"Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" Eric jumped in, now in a complete panic and putting on glasses, pants, and hunting for his shoes.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just…I'm sorry to have called I shouldn't have I just didn't know what to do and all I could think of is that I wanted to talk to you and I'm so sorr-"

"Nell. Stop. Where are you?", Eric knew he sounded angry but he was in such a state that he could not handle having Nell crying from being mugged and waning to talk about their fight over the phone. All he wanted to do was get to her and make sure she was safe and really unhurt. If he had nothing else from her he had to at least have that.

Nell waited before replying, not knowing how Eric would react to her situation given how she had acted to him earlier in the week. As her mind screamed _Just tell him you will get a cab and see him Monday_ she said in a whisper, "The police station on fifty-sixth. By the grocery store."

"Do not leave. I'm on my way to get you. Don't argue." He said as he hung up the phone and rushed out the door to his car.

Eric broke every traffic law in the book on his way to get Nell. He could think of nothing other than making sure she was okay…and getting security cam footage so he could track down the person who mugged her and electronically put his pathetic life in ruins forever. As Eric approached the police station, he saw Nell outside. She had been looking for his car and walked to the curb as he pulled up.

"Why didn't you wait inside? I would have come in to get you." Eric asked. "Are you okay?"

"I didn't want you to have to go to any trouble for me. I really could have taken a cab. I shouldn't have called you…" Nell was worried by how Eric sounded. He seemed like he was mad at her. He was never mad. Even during their fight, he wasn't mad he was just hurt and saddened. Eric being angry made Nell nervous- not for herself, but for him. _You should not have called him, you hurt him enough, let him go_ was all she could think of as he drove in silence, with a white-knuckle grip in the steering wheel.

Nell looked around her after a few minutes and asked, "Where are you going? This isn't the way to my apartment…"

"You're staying with me tonight. Whoever mugged you has your license and keys so he knows where you live and can get in. You need to get your locks changed- don't go to your place alone until you do."

"Eric, you don't have to do that. I have a gun, you know. Or I can stay at Ops for the night. I know you must hate me…" Nell could not continue what she was saying since she had started to cry again.

"I don't hate you Nell. I still love you. I thought you hated me." Eric said softly as he pulled onto his street and parked in front of his duplex.

"I don't hate you either. I love you." After a moment, Nell added, "I'm sorry you had to say it first again."

"I don't want to lose you, Nell. The last few days have been awful."

"I know. I want you back, if I can have you I mean. I don't like my life without you in it. Will you…can we talk about it? About what happened?" Nell asked tentatively. She knew she had no right to ask him for anything but the events of the evening had worn down her wariness.

"Yeah. I want to talk. We should probably get out of the car first. The neighbor lady thinks I'm a criminal since I'm in and out at all hours due to work stuff. This probably isn't helping me any." Eric said with a smile and nod to the house next to his, where a light had just come on in the front window and the outline of a person could be seen at the edge of the curtains.

Nell grinned at Eric and got out of the car.


	8. Chapter 8

***Chapter rated M***

Eric and Nell made their way up the walk and into his house without talking or touching. Once inside, they seated themselves on the couch and faced each other in a decidedly uncomfortable silence. Eric looked both nervous and distraught as he decided to be the one to start. "I just want to understand what I did to make you want to break up. If the drawer and house key was too soon, then you should have told me so we could have talked about it or something. I really just thought that was the next step for us. Obviously, I was wrong but-"

"Eric, stop.", Nell said, eyes welling up. "You didn't do anything wrong here; it was all me. And you were right about how I keep you- kept you- at arm's length and I am so, so sorry for that. The truth is, when you gave the drawer and keys, it was the right move and I knew it and it scared the shit out of me because I never have had a relationship go past that point, which is probably why I kept you at a distance- I didn't want you close enough to hurt me. So I thought it was the beginning of the end and I freaked out. I thought I was losing you even though you were trying to keep me and I think I always thought we would break up so I wanted to hurt you. If you hate me you can't be too hurt, right? I mean I want you to be happy so I tried to crush you." Nell said trailing off into a squeaky whimper as she finished and put her face in her hands, totally in sobs.

Eric was momentarily stunned, caught off guard by what Nell had said and by the sight of her so vulnerable. Even in their relationship, she didn't show him this side of her. After a few minutes he asked, "Why did you think we would eventually break up? And…you thought I would hurt you? Like on purpose? I woul- I don't know what I did to make you think that. And if I didn't do something to make you think that then… you must not…you don't trust me. At all."

"I thought we would break up because I have always been the one broken up with. I'm the one who gets left. Crushed. Dumped for a girl who is less weird, less obsessive, less controlling, taller, prettier, hipper. You know, 'the whole package'?" And I do trust you. I do. I just-I panicked. I saw the keys and I just thought 'It's happening again.'. So I panicked. The fact is I never thought you would hurt me like all the other guys did…until I saw the keys. And I knew if I accepted the drawer, unpacked and let myself settle into…something deeper…with you that it would only hurt worse. And that's why when you didn't break up with me, I picked a fight from nothing so I would have an excuse to get out before I could be trampled. Again. I should have realized that you didn't want to trample me but I could not let myself think that because I have thought that before and been mistaken. I would do anything to take it back, to change what happened. I miss you so much I can't stand it. I feel like I'm being suffocated I feel _empty_."

"I miss you too. And you are not too weird, too obsessive, or too controlling to me. I love how your shoulders are the perfect height for me to lay my arm on when we would sit here and watch TV and you could curl up into me. And you are beautiful, every single inch of you I wouldn't change a thing. Not a single hair or freckle or funny-shaped toenail. And let's face it, there is nothing cooler than a girl who can beat her boyfriend at Duck Hunt. I just wish you would have told me this so we could have talked and not had the fight. I hate fighting…ugh, I mean it's horrible. I was never going to break up with you. I want a life with you, but only if you can meet me in the middle. I can't go through this every time you get scared. Relationships are scary shit, Nell. You have to fight or you will always lose. And, yeah, even if you fight, you still might lose but at least you know you tried."

Nell could hardly believe what she was hearing. She was so overwhelmed with what he said that she could not think for a few minutes. She just sat and processed. "Can we try again? Will you let me?", she asked in a whisper.

Eric chanced a small smile before replying. "We need to agree on a few things first. No more fight picking. Just tell when something doesn't feel right with you and I'll do the same. I shouldn't have waited until the fight to say how I didn't feel like I was a part of your life or that I was always the first to say 'I love you' and I'm sorry for that. I'll do better. But you might have to tell me a couple times; remind me, you know? I am a guy after all. And no more running, I _want_ you to talk to me, to tell me if I screw up or if you aren't happy. Does that sound okay to you?"

Nell smiled and took his hand. "Yeah, no running, no fight picking, more talking about feelings. Very emotionally mature, Eric." They both smiled and scooted closer. "Just one addition, though. I do your stuff too, as much as you do the things I like. I want you in my life and I want to be in yours."

"Agreed.", he said.

"Agreed.", she said.

And with that, they were a couple again. Eric grabbed Nell by the waist and pulled/ lifted her on to his lap and they kissed as if they had been apart for months rather than days. As Eric pulled her closer, one hand in her hair, Nell ground her hips into his, feeling that he was already ready for hot make up sex. "Dear God in heaven Eric, I never want to go four days without sex from you ever again", Nell said breathlessly as Eric grabbed her ass and stood up. Nell wrapped her legs all the way around his waist as he carried her to the bedroom.

They stripped faster than they ever had before. Eric was undressed first and pushed Nell onto the bed the second her panties hit the floor. He got on top and resumed kissing Nell as she ran her hands over every part of his body she could reach. Eric responded to her touch by placing a finger at her opening and slowly tracing circles, causing Nell to arch up and start to pant in excitement. He put his finger inside and then another, making Nell scream his name; scream for him to give her what she had so desperately missed these past few days; begging him to make her cum.

Eric took out his fingers and braced himself over Nell, placing his tip where she would be the most tortured. Nell moaned and pressed her body upward. Looking each other in the eyes and smiling, Eric pushed into Nell so slowly that Nell actually gasped, "Oh my God you are doing this to me on purpose! Please, Eric- faster."

Eric was happy to oblige and began to thrust quickly. Nell dug her nails into his back, knowing he would not feel any pain at this moment, and wrapped her legs around his lower back. She was working against him, drawing back each time Eric pulled back and raising her hips again to meet his hard thrusts. The sensation and friction make them both scream and gasp and moan every time their pelvises rammed together. Hanging on to each other, Nell's head pressed back into the pillows as her body arched up, they finished at the same time. Eric collapsed on Nell, totally spent and breathless. Nell was still moaning, on a post-climax high.

Still breathing heavily, Nell managed to say, "I think we might have set a new standard for ourselves. I know we broke the mold for makeup sex, though. I think I'll add this night to what I love about you."

Eric rolled over and said with a sheepish grin, "Sex from you made my list of what I love about you our first time. You stole my innocence, Nell Jones, and it was fucking _hot_."

Nell just laughed at his play on words. "You're fucking hot, too."

Both laughed as they lay side by side, barely covered by the sheets of Eric's bed. As they grew quite, Nell looked at Eric in a way nobody had ever looked at him before. It was tender, deep, and exciting all at the same time. Looking into her dark brown eyes, Eric could swear he felt his heart grow with the sheer energy of all the possibilities that look seemed to bring into his life. Not breaking her gaze, Nell said softly, "I love you." As Eric made to reply the same, Nell gently covered his lips with her finger as her thumb caressed his cheek, signaling him that this, whatever it was, was for him to take in. Something for her to give him.

Nell repeated, "I love you." and kissed his lips. She wanted to give him this measure of security, this small apology for never saying those three small yet essential words first because she was so certain he would ruin her that she could not let herself be this open before. Things were different now. She wanted to show him what she had told him. So she made her way all over his face and neck, saying "I love you" and then gently kissing Eric. She kept going, making down his body, taking care to place a kiss on Eric's body each time she repeated the words he so deserved to hear from her. Every kiss was as different as the tone of voice and inflection she used to whisper to her lover.

As Eric watched Nell, the woman he loved so dearly and had wanted to spend his life with crawl over his naked body, covering him with kisses, he was overwhelmed: the openness and tenderness of this moment was incomparable to anything he had experienced with another person in his entire life. It was comforting, reassuring, exhilarating, and calming all at the same time. Nell continued on her exploration of Eric until he was ready to take her again and couldn't wait any longer to reciprocate what she had just done for him. This time, their love was slower, more passionate and focused on the pleasure of the other rather than on raw desire. When they were finally done, breathless and spent, they curled up into the other and fell asleep as the bright California sun made its appearance on the horizon.

When Eric and Nell woke up, they talked for hours, never leaving the bed. They expanded on all the things Nell had said the night before, their shared hopes and dreams, and the way they would build their lives together. They spent the weekend together, growing closer in those two days than they had in the entire six months of dating. When Nell finally left Monday morning to go home and get ready for work, she left her underwear and bra in the drawer given to her, unable to leave Eric's home without making it partially her own.

In Ops later that morning, the team of agents was assembled in the bullpen, trying to casually compare notes on their weekend while casting anxious glances to the door, obviously looking for Eric and Nell to show up, though nobody would admit to that. When the techs came walking down the hall, they did not notice Callen glancing in their direction, catching them holding hands (which were soon separated since they were at work) and shooting each other those dewy- eyed looks Sam seemed to both hate and envy. "We're all good", Callen informed his team as the techs came by, waving a good morning before heading upstairs to their computer cave.

Once Eric and Nell were safely out of sight and out of earshot, the agents quickly reached into their pockets and desk drawers looking for their betting slips to see who had come closest to guessing when the lovebirds would make up.

Hetty won.


End file.
